Machine for playing upon musical instruments



(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 1. O. S. CRAWFORD.

MACHINE FOR PLAYING UPON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. o. 416,093 Patented Nov. 26, 1889 N PETERS. Phm-lum m im. Wnxhinglon D c (N0 Mbd e l.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. S. CRAWFORD. MACHINE FOR PLAYING UPON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS;

N0.,416,093. Patented NOV. 26, 1889.

"Tina/ire: mew 7- (R0 Model.) 4 Sheets--Sheet 3.

0. S. CRAWFORD. MACHINE FOR PLAYING UPON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 416,093. Patented Nov. 26', 1889.

N. PETERS PhoHrLilhcgl-aphen Washingwn. n (L (No Model.) 4-Sheets-Sheet 4.

C. S. CRAWFORD. MACHINE FOR PLAYING UPON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 416,093; Patented NOV. 26, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. CRAWFORD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR PLAYING UPON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,093, dated November 26, 1889.

Application filed April 8, 1889. Serial No. 306,340. (No model.)

-or other stringed instruments which are sounded by the stroke of a bow, and more es pecially to the improvement of the machine patented to me by United States Letters Patent No. 389,137, dated September 4, 1888.

It also relates to mechanism for striking bells, triangles, or other resonant'instruments in connection with stringed instruments and simultaneously with them.

The object of my invention is to provide mechanism wherebylthe bows of stringed instruments, similar to those described herein, may be drawn across the strings with mechanical accuracy, either concurrently or alternately, as desired, and sound such strings as may be necessaryto produce various required chords.

A further object of my invention is to provide mechanismTw-hereby bells or resonant instruments may be struck in unison with the produced chords of the stringed instruments. My invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts, as shown in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and more specifically pointed out in the claims.

I11 the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a detached View of bell-crank E. Fig. 3 is a View 7 in perspective of the bow-carrier and means for withdrawing it from the strings. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a side view of the dampers for stopping off the strings and preventing their vibration. Fig.

6 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is an end view showing arrangement of pedals.

, Fig. 7 is a rear View, in elevation, of the pedals M and D. Fig. 8 is an end View of the frame supporting the bells, and Fig. 9 is 'a plan view of a portion of the same.

In these figures, A is the main frame or support for the instruments B, provided with the encircling braces A, to further secure them in place, so that they may be operated upon by the mechanism shown; The large instruments are further supported by foot-rests A and rear support A.

D is the main pedal, pivoted at (1, operating the'slides U and J on the brackets K and L by means of the bell-crank E, rod F, and the hinged uprights ll and G.

K are rollers extending across the front of the machine, and are connected with the pedals M by means of straps M and pivoted links N and N. (See Fig. 7.) are intended to operate the stops or dampers X and Y for the strings and bells, as Well as the fingers Z, by means of cords O. This mechanism will be described in detail hereinafter.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown the bow P, held in clamps Q, resting upon the bracket K, Said clamps Q slide in guides R upon the bar S, whichcommunicates with all the stringed instruments. Upon the bar S are small bellcranks T, which engage the end of the clamps Q with one arm, the other arm engaging a slot 11. on the bar U, which is supported in projections S of the bar S. Stops a and a are placed on one end of. the bar U, which.

strike the projections S on the bar S, a d serve to move the slide S and bow P in unison. A lug u on bar U receives the end of the actuating-bar G.

Figs. 5 and 6 show dampers pivoted above the strings at x on frame X. These are used to Withdraw the strings not in use from reach of the bow and prevent their sounding when not required in the production of chords.

Spiral springs 00', attached to the upper part of the instruments, keep the dampers in place until raised from the wires 1) by the cords O, extending from the rollers K. A pin 00 is placed across the dampers to prevent their being raised too high by the springs m.

V are bells arranged on the bracket L, and are played by the mechanism shown in Figs. 8 and 9, in which J is a slide worked by the lever- G.

j and j are stops on the slide J, communi- These rollers eating with the lug J on the second slide J Small stops j on this slide J operate bellcranks 7' which actuate the hammer J provided with the weights j by means of pins Y are dampers connected with the rollers K by the cords O, and provided with weights y and elongated outer extremities y to receive the cords O.

In my improved machine for playing musical instruments the stringed instruments are arranged upon a suitable frame A, as shown, which supports them and also the mechanism for playing them.

The stringed instruments B are arranged in the rear of the shelf or bracket K, upon which bows of the usual character are held in the clamps Q upon slides S. A reciprocating movement isgiven to these slides by means of the bar U and stops S, u, and a and Vertical lever H, by which means the bows are carried backward and forward across the wires 1) of the instruments.

In order to modify the tone and produce a more agreeable result, it is desirable that the bows of only a part of the instruments should come in contact with the wires during each stroke, thus alternating the sounds of the tenor and bass viols and violins. To accomplish this result, the bow for each instrument is attached to a separate slide S, and mechanism is-provided whereby the bow is withdrawn from contact with the wires during part of the stroke. The two positions of the bow are shown in solid and dotted lines, Fig. 4. The bow is held firmly in the clamps Q, which move backward and forward in the guides R, which rest upon the slide S. Bellcranks T, provided with a long and short arm, are pivoted on S, with their short arms resting against the end of the clamps Q and the long arms passing through slots u on the bar U. The slide S is also provided with the lug S ,and the bar U with the stops u and 16 A lug u receives the end of the actuating-le- Ver H, deriving its movement through the link F and bell-crank E, pivoted to the pedal D at d.

It will be observed that, the bar U being set in motion, the slots to; engaging the longer arms of the bell-cranks T,will turn them and push the clamping-blocks Q, holding the bow P, toward the instrument. The lug a will then engage the lug S on the bar S and pass the bow over the wires Z) of the instrument B through one stroke. In the return of the bar U the bell-cranks T will be reversed, the spring P will withdraw the bow P from contact with the wires 1), and later on the lug u will engage the lug S on slide S and carry the bow back to its original position. The bar S is extended so as to actuate all the bows in use, and part of the clamps Q, blocks R,

and bell-cranks T may be reversed in position, so as to bring a part of the bows into contact with the wires and play either of the instruments at diiterent portions of the stroke from the rest, so as to alternate the sounds of the instruments. In order that all the wires 1) may not be caused to vibrate at once by the passage of the bows, the dampers X are arranged on the frame X above the wires 1) in such a way that the wires 1) not used in producing the necessary chords will be pushed back beyond the reach of the bow and prevented from sounding, the wire or wires 1) which are desired to vibrate being released by lifting the damper X. These dampers X are left in contact with the wires by springs :0, carried from theirouter extremities to the upper part of the instruments B, and are operated by cords 0, extending from said extremities to the rollers K. Straps M lead from the rollers K, about which they are partially wrapped, to the links N and N. The upper ends of links N are pivoted at n in the roller-frame \V, and the lower ends of the links N are pivoted at m in one end of the foot-lever M, which is fulcrumed at a. Any number of rollers K may be used as the desired variety of chords may require, the footpedals M equaling the rollers K in number.

In playing the machine, the operator being seated so as to bring the pedal D within reach of his right foot and pedals M within reach of his left, the pedal D being depressed, the bows P are carried forward against the strings I), and, the movement being continued, the bows P are drawn across the strings 'of the instruments. At the same time, by means of the other foot, one of the pedals M is depressed, throwing out the links N and N,

pivoted at n, and pulling upon the straps M, which are partially wrapped about the rollers K. This causes the rollers K to revolve and wind up the cords O, pulling upon the outer ends of the dampers X and raising them from the wires 1), when the passage of the bow causes them to sound. Each pedal M governs a separate chord or combination producing the desired harmony, which is cut off by the springs x as soon as the pedal is released.

In order to increase the number of chords produced, fingers Z, mounted in the frame Z, are applied over the upper ends of the strings 1) upon the stems of the instruments, each finger being adapted to press upon one of the wires and vary its tone in the usual manner of violins. These fingers have already been described in the Letters Patent for mechanism for playing stringed instruments, No. 889,137, issued to me September 4, 1888, and do not need especial notice in this specification. They are operated by cords 0, attached to the rollers K, simultaneously with the release of the dampers X, and modify the chords, as described.

Figs. 8 and 9 show bells mounted upon the bracket L 011 the front of the machine, corresponding in pitch with the other instruments and sounded simultaneously with them. This is accomplished by the mechanism shown in Figs. 8 and 9 in detail, which operates as follows: A sliding; bar J, moving upon the supporting-arms Z of the bracket L, is provided with the notch g, in which plays the vertical lever G, communicating through the link F and bell-crank E with the foot-lever D, by which means the bar J is caused to reciprocate. Lugs j on the bar J strike against the lugs J on the bar J and communicate the movement to it. Lugs 7' on the bar J 2 actuate bell-cranks j pivoted on the fixed bar J 4 at 7' and serve to push forward the bar 7' to which are attached the pins 7' guided in holes in the partition j. These pins strike against the toes 3' of the hammers J pivoted at j, and cause them to strike the bells V. The hammers J 3 are Weighted at their outer ends, as

tached to their extremities y and to the rollersK, which withdraw them from contact with the hammers J and allow the bells V to sound. IVhen the pedal M, which operates these dampers X, is released, the dampers Y, provided with weights 1 dip back and press the hammers J against the bells and prevent their ringing. The bell-cranks 7' may be reversed in position at the opposite ends of the frame L in such a manner as to cause part of the bells to sound when the others are silent, one lug j on bar J sounding part of them, and the other lug j another part, the tenor bells, for instance, sounding when the bass are silent, and vice versa.

Other resonant instruments may be substituted for bellsas triangles or gongs-and be operated in substantially the same manner.

It is not essential to the working of my machine that rollers should be used in connection with the pedals to operate the dampers and fingers, other equivalent m echanismsuch as bell-cranks-answering the purpose I equally well.

2. In a mechanism for playing stringed inguides R, bar U, and lugs S, u, and 20 in combination with vibrating lever H and treadle D, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for playing stringed instruments, bow-reciprocating mechanism, consisting of bar U and lever H, operated by a pedal D, in combination with dampers X, operated by means of a series of pedals M and intervening mechanism, all substantially as described.

4:. In a machine for playing stringed instruments, dampers X for the strings, consisting of bars, substantially as described, and pivotally mounted above the strings upon a suitable frame X, in combination with cords O, springs 00, and means for operating the same, consisting of pedals M and suitable connecting mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for playing stringed instruments, dampers X, substantially as described, springs so, cords O, rollers K, links Nand N, bands M, and pedals M, substantially as described.

(5. In a machine for playing musical instruments, bells V, arranged on the frame of the machine, in combination with hammers J pins j, bell-cranks 7' lugs j and J, sliding pins j on bar 7' actuating-lever G, link F, bell-crank E, and treadle D, substantially as described.

7. In bell-ringing attachment for a machine for playing musical instruments, bells V, in combination with weighted hammers J weighted dampers Y, cords O, rollers K, bands M, links N and N, and pedals M, substantially as described.

S. In a machine for playing stringed instruments, the bow P, supported upon the clamps Q, and sliding bar S, in combination with dampers X and fingers Z, substantially as described.

9. The pedals M, in combination with links N and N, bands M, rollers K, cords O, fingers Z, and dampers X and Y, substantially as described.

CHARLES S. CRAYVFORD.

Attest:

JOSEPH A. OSBORNE, WM. M. MONROE. 

